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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Where to Take a Toddler in Singapore

R with her brochure checking out the black swans

I love going to Jurong Bird Park with R: it's close to our house, it's not too crowded (most people prefer the zoo), and there's a wide variety of toddler-approved activities to choose from. We went recently (with F of course!) and followed what's become a routine.

1. Rental of wagon for the two of them to share (though R is not good at staying in it, even when I belt her in: she is a mini-Houdini).

2. Visit to the penguins (feeding time starts just as we usually arrive). Penguins are pretty charismatic: plus their area has air conditioning.

3. Off to the water play area. There are a bunch of coin-operated rides there: R loves them but often insists on getting off in the middle (she dislikes anything where she's not in complete control of her movement, including strollers, swings and mini-train rides).

R and F on the carousel

R is done now and started dismounting just as I press the button: yikes! I catch her just in time.

4. Then we play in the water until the toddlers are tired. Actually R does: since I don't really like playing with her I mostly hang out to one side drinking iced tea.

R running around in her new swimsuit (full coverage necessary in the tropics)

5. By then, it's been a few hours so we slowly head back to the entrance for lunch. One of the two park restaurants serves local-style food, so we go there. I always get the same thing: laksa (spicy coconut soup) for me and chicken rice and fruit salad for R. She eats it all (she loves chicken rice), which allows me time to enjoy my meal.

One of the strange denizens of the park: it looks like a cartoon character